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Bindra will reply to CBI on Monday

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India president I S Bindra will send on Monday his point-wise response to the questions posed by the Central Bureau of Investigation on his 360-page report about match-fixing, betting and other malpractices facing the game in the country.

The CBI, after going through the detailed document submitted by the Punjab Cricket Association president, had sent him a written questionnaire earlier this week seeking certain clarifications on the points raised in it.

Bindra told UNI that he was preparing the reply to the questionnaire and would send it by Monday.

The premier investigating agency, in its questionnaire, had sought clarifications about the data annexed by Bindra with his report, according to CBI sources. The questionnaire also posed several other queries, but both Bindra and the have remained tightlipped over it.

Bindra's examination by the CBI was also dependent upon his response to the questionnaire. The agency had indicated that he could be examined, if needed, after it receives a reply from him.

Bindra had, on May 15, appeared before the CBI on his own and submitted the report after a 70-minute meeting with the investigating team, led by Joint Director R N Sawani. In his report, he is understood to have raised issues of television rights of cricket matches since 1996 and about the alleged illegalities in matches played in Sharjah, Singapore and Toronto.

The CBI is probing the involvement of present and past cricketers, administrators and officials against whom charges of match-fixing, betting or indulging in any other malpractices have been levelled. The probe was handed over to the CBI by the government on April 29 and the inquiry was initiated on May 2.

The agency has so far questioned four people, including former India manager Sunil Dev. The names of the other three have not been disclosed by the CBI. Former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar may be questioned shortly.

About the report, Bindra hinted that it dealt with the incidence of 'special favours' given to television companies while selling coverage rights and mushrooming of masala (exhibition) and thaila (money raising) matches in other countries.

He has so far held two meetings with the CBI team on May 15 and May 16. Though the first meeting lasted an hour and related to the submission of his report, the duration and agenda of the second meeting remains a mystery.

UNI